For every mid-to-upper- 90s fastball that Randy Johnson fired at the Red Sox, it was matched by a mid-to-upper-60s knuckleball that Tim Wakefield lobbed at the Yankees.

For every high-speed strikeout that Johnson notched, Wakefield responded with a low-speed whiff. In fact, when it came to Ks, the knuckler beat the blazer, 12-8.

"It just goes to show you that you don't have to throw 95 [mph] to get guys out," Wakefield said of the obvious contrast in style between yesterday's starting pitchers.

But style points aside, Wakefield took no solace in setting a career high for strikeouts in a game because one of his pitches wound up on the wrong side of the rightfield foul pole, putting him on the wrong end of a 1-0 score.

"When you think of the outcome of the game, you don't think a ball that's barely fair is going to beat you," Wakefield said of Jason Giambi's towering fly ball that hit the foul pole above the 314-foot sign in the rightfield corner.

"I couldn't believe he hit it," Wakefield said of Giambi's swing at a 1-and-2 curveball. "I thought it was a pretty good pitch. I was hoping it would go foul."

So did Terry Francona.

"If that ball lands a little further down the line [foul], we may still be playing," said the Boston manager, who didn't enjoy the outcome but did appreciate what he had witnessed.

"A great game to watch and a great game to be a part of," Francona said. "He [Wakefield] was so good, and he had to be. He almost matched him [Johnson] pitch for pitch."

Wakefield (15-11) was at his best after the first inning, when Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano hit the ball fairly hard for outs before Giambi's 29th homer. From the second through the sixth, en route to a complete-game three-hitter, Wakefield struck out the side three times and accumulated all 12 of his strikeouts.

After Bubba Crosby hit a one-out triple in the third, Wakefield silenced an edgy but enthusiastic crowd of 55,123 by striking out Jeter looking at a knuckler that was up and Cano on one that darted downward.

"You don't want to concede a run with the way Randy was pitching," Wakefield said. "I was fortunate to strike out Jeter on a bad pitch and get out of it."

Jeter said the Yankees were fortunate to get a run.

"Wakefield was probably as good as I've seen him," he said. "His ball was moving all over the place. We could've been out there for another 10 innings and I don't think we would've gotten any more hits off him."

Wakefield also escaped a mild threat in the sixth after Cano hit a one-out double. This time it was Giambi (looking at a late-breaking knuckleball that moved back over the inside corner) and Alex Rodriguez (flailing) who struck out with a runner in scoring position.

At age 39, Wakefield believes games like yesterday's send a message that he isn't through. "Look at Randy [42], Wells [42] and Clemens [43]. They're over 40," he said. "Things look bright for my future."

As long as he keeps taking it slow on the mound.